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Title    Algae-Inspired Polymers Light the Way for Enhanced Night Vision
Date    Wednesday October 28 2020, @02:15AM
Author    Fnord666
Topic   
from the going-green dept.
https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=20/10/27/1448231

Phoenix666 writes:

Algae-inspired polymers light the way for enhanced night vision:

In a study recently published in ACS Applied Polymer Materials, researchers from the University of Tsukuba synthesized an infrared-transmitting polymer—based on low-cost, widely available materials—that retains its shape after stretching. The properties of this polymer are highly applicable to the preparation of cheaper night-vision lenses that retain focus while imaging at variable distances.

[...] The researchers' polymer is based on sulfur and compounds derived from algae and plants. The polymer is easy to prepare using a chemical process called inverse vulcanization: simply mix the constituent compounds together and stir while heating. As a first step, the researchers designed a polymer that is elastic—that is, reverts to its original shape—after being repeatedly restretched by 20%.

[...] The fabrication of conventional infrared night-vision lenses, in a way that allows users to easily change focus from one position to another, is typically difficult. Without a variable-focus capability, details that are pertinent to criminal or research investigations, for example, may be lost.

The researchers say the lenses will enable higher resolution night vision equipment.

Journal Reference:
Junpei Kuwabara, Kaho Oi, Makoto M. Watanabe, et al. Algae-Inspired, Sulfur-Based Polymer with Infrared Transmission and Elastic Function, ACS Applied Polymer Materials (DOI: 10.1021/acsapm.0c00924)


Original Submission

Links

  1. "Phoenix666" - https://soylentnews.org/~Phoenix666/
  2. "Algae-inspired polymers light the way for enhanced night vision" - https://phys.org/news/2020-10-algae-inspired-polymers-night-vision.html
  3. "10.1021/acsapm.0c00924" - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.0c00924
  4. "Original Submission" - https://soylentnews.org/submit.pl?op=viewsub&subid=44946

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